Standing in long queues to pay your electricity bills could soon become a thing of the past. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has proposed to install about 50 "any time payment (ATP)" machines in different parts of Chennai city to enable consumers to pay their electricity bills round-the-clock. Presently, there are four ATP machines in the city the TNEB head office on Anna Salai, Wallajah Road in Triplicane, Seven Wells in Sowcarpet and T Nagar. They were installed last year on a trial basis.

Now, having found that the new venture has been a success with 8,000 to 10,000 consumers using the four ATP machines every month, the TNEB has planned to expand the facility.

"We are holding discussions with two computer services firms, one of them a subsidiary of Canara Bank, for installing and maintaining the ATP machines. Since we need to pay the company maintaining the machine Rs 17 for every transaction made by consumers, it will be beneficial to the board only if more people use the facility. If everything goes well, the 50 machines could be istalled in various parts of the city in a couple of months,'' a senior official told The Times of India.

According to official sources, the TNEB has been getting a monthly revenue of about Rs 2 crore from the four ATP machines. Expansion of this facility would reduce the work burden of the staff, the sources added.

The Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees has appealed to the TNEB to ensure that expansion of the facility will not in anyway affect the employees' interest or their job security.

On their part, many consumers see the ATP machines as user-friendly. "Collection centres function only from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm. In the case of ATP machines, we can remit our payment by cash, cheque or demand draft round-the-clock before the due date,'' said Paramasivam, a resident in Triplicane who has been paying his bills through an ATP machine for sometime now.

"In the case of cash payment, the machines accept only notes of denominations from Rs 5 to Rs 1,000. They and won't accept coins. So we have to round off the bill amount to the nearest Rs 5 exceeding the due (for e.g, if the bill amount is Rs 227 or Rs 229, the payment should be Rs 230). The excess amount will be credited and adjusted in the next bill. If we pay a lesser amount, the machine will accept it but will warn that the power connection will be disconnected without notice and that we should pay the balance amount before the due date,'' said Rajamanickam of Royapettah.